Tired of shopping for witch or ghost costumes? Annoyed at the thought that your children would possibly be consuming more sugar than they can handle with the Halloween treats? Is the blatant commercialism of Halloween getting you down?

Here are six activities you and your child can indulge in during Samhain Night without having to go trick or treating:

1. Take your child to a fair or carnival.There is a lot of fun to be had in taking a child out to a carnival or fair, particularly the school fairs held close to Halloween. Check local online listings for school schedules and fairs happening in your area. Usually, they’ll have a handful of rides, several games, horror booths, and enough waffle dogs, cotton candy and popcorn to make the trip worth it. Have some antacids on hand for you or your child in case you overindulge or take one too many trips on the octopus.

2. Set up a game of flashlight tag.This activity is more fun with a bigger group and a large enough place to play in, like a park, a big house or a large garden. It’s basically hide and seek, only, this one uses flashlights instead of actually touching the person whom you’re trying to catch. Everyone gets a flashlight but only one - the ‘it’ - gets to use it indiscriminately as everyone else has to be careful not to get spotted turning on their lights.

3. Take them out on an evening trek and share scary stories.One good thing about living in Manila is how easy it is to take a trip to a more pristine place with little effort. Hop on a car or bus with your kids to Tagaytay, Antipolo or Taal for the night. Or, you can plan ahead and take your kids to Hundred Islands, Bohol, Baguio, Camiguin or Palawan. Once you’re all out there, find a secluded grove or camping ground or rent a boat and enjoy a star-filled night while you tell them gooseflesh-inducing tales of terror. It’ll really help if you choose to take the family to a place that has a real history like ghost sightings or an ancient battleground, but don’t overdo it. Gauge it according to the age of your children and their fear threshold. Also take into consideration your spouse’s fear threshold as pushing past it may be grounds for an annulment :)